INTRO: 1. What the Lord does here in this passage may surprise us – He invites Satan to try Job.
a. Trials is not a sign of failure in your life, but success.
b. It’s God’s way of saying, my servant is ‘fit to be tried.’
2. Why did the Lord have such confidence in Job’s ability to withstand one of the greatest trials to ever befall man?
a. He first of all knew Job’s Life.
“there is none like him in the earth, perfect and an upright man.”
1. What you are will be reflected in how you walk and what you do.
2. I have no confidence in those who talk the talk, but refuses to walk the walk!
3. Walking right doesn’t mean you avoid trials and tribulations, it means you are ready for them.
b. He also knew Job’s heart.
“one that feareth God and escheweth evil.”
1. We can put on in front of church people, the people we work with, and sometimes those we live with, but never before God.
2. He knows our heart toward Him. (reverence, let God have his rightful place)
3. He knows our heart toward Evil. (If we really avoid it, if we really hate it)
c. He had already Tried Job – with the trial of success.
1. If you want to know what’s in a man, give him power and authority.
2. If you want to know what’s in a man, give him wealth.
3. How you handle your blessings, will reflect on how you’ll handle your trials.
ILL. You perhaps recall the story of the blacksmith who gave his heart to God. Though conscientious in his living, it seems that from the time of his conversion more trouble, affliction and loss were sustained than ever before. Everything seemed to be going wrong. One day a friend who was not a Christian stopped at the little forge to talk to him. Sympathizing with him in some of his trials, the friend said "It seems strange to me that so much affliction should pass over you just at the time when you have become an earnest Christian. The blacksmith did not answer immediately, and it was evident that he had thought the same question before. But finally, he said "You see here the raw iron which I have to make into horse's shoes. You know what I do with it? I take a piece and heat it in the fire until it is red, almost white with the heat. Then I hammer it unmercifully to shape it as I know it should be shaped. Then I plunge it into a pail of cold water to temper it. Then I heat it again and hammer it some more. And this I do until it is finished." "But sometimes I find a piece of iron that won't stand up under this treatment. The heat and the hammering and the cold water are too much for it. I don't know why it fails in the process, but I know it will never make a good horse's shoe." He pointed to a heap of scrap iron that was near the door of his shop. "When I get a piece that cannot take the shape and temper, I throw it out on the scrap heap. It will never be good for anything." He went on, "I know that God has been holding me in the fires of affliction, and I have felt His hammer upon me. But I don't mind, if only He can bring me to what I should be. And so, in all these hard things, my prayer is simply this: Try me in any way you wish, Lord, only don't throw me on the scrap heap."
3. Although God called him “perfect” and “upright” the Devil still leveled accusation against him.
a. If you think that living right and obeying God, will cause people to stop saying bad things about you – you’re wrong.
b. If you think that just because you’re living right, others won’t have anything bad to say about you – the accuser will make up something. (ILL. Daniel)
c. When we talk negatively and critically about each other, we become instruments of Satan, the father of Accusation. (ILL. Jesus said to Peter “Get thee behind me Satan.”)
d. Satan charged Job with impure motives – serving God for gain.
4. Although, God knew that Job was fit to be tried, the Devil was about to learn it to – because the proof is in the pudding.
a. His reaction in the midst of the trial was indicators of His commitment to God.
5. Are you ‘fit to be tried’ or will the trial crush you and destroy your faith in and devotion to God?
6. Job’s life gives advice on how to handle the trials that God is confident we can handle.
I. DON’T PANIC
a. I like what Job did. He didn’t look for a quick fix, but settled in for the duration. Experience had taught him the best way to beat the storm is to ride it out.
b. If we panic, we are defeated to start with - the enemy has us where he wants us.
A. DON’T THINK IT STRANGE
1 Pet. 4:12, 13 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1. Here Peter is trying to tell us not to live as naive believers who think that such trials belong to somebody else.
2. The first foolish cry of any believer is “Why me?”, the answer is simply “Why not?”
3. Job was the most righteous man of his generation, yet God allowed the harshest suffering to come his way, but it was all for a purpose.
4. We must anticipate trials in our lives.
ILL. If we're going to triumph over trials, it's imperative that we anticipate them. Have you ever talked with a starry-eyed young couple about to be married? They say, "Oh, we just can't wait. It is going to be so wonderful to be together twenty-four hours every day." I often tell them about W. A. Criswell, who'd been married for fifty years when he said, "Sometimes I love my wife so much I could just eat her up. Sometimes the next day I wish I had."
B. DON’T ACT HASTILY
1. We’re so hungry for an answer to God, we’ll often take his silence as a message and step out on our own claiming God’s will.
2. The friends of Job wanted him to confess hidden sins that he had not committed, but Job wasn’t going to hastily rush into something until he heard from God.
3. The best advice I received years ago was this, “Until you hear from God, don’t stop doing what he told you to do last.”
4. ILL. King Saul came to a time of testing when he needed the sacrifices to be made and Samuel hadn’t got there yet, he panicked and hastily offered the sacrifice himself and angered God.
C. DON’T PUT WORDS INTO GOD’S MOUTH
1. This is where Job sat head and shoulders above his friends, he was only willing to speak for God when spoken to by God, but his friends was quick to speak to Job on God’s behalf.
2. We like to play spiritual doctor diagnosing our spiritual ills or the ills of others. It’s nothing more than a demonstration of our own self-righteousness.
3. Be willing to admit it when you just don’t know what’s going on in our life.
II. DON’T TOLERATE FOOLISH TALK
Job 2:9,10 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
a. On two grounds Job is to be commended here in this passage, he didn’t tolerate foolish talk and the bible says “In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.”
b. Job didn’t tolerate it from his wife, his friends or even himself.
c. It’s easy for any one of us, when under the pressure of trials to begin talking foolishly - we need someone like Job to rebuke us and set us straight.
A. IT’S FOOLISH TO CLAIM ANY EXCUSE FOR UNFAITHFULNESS.
1. Job’s wife question the faithfulness of his integrity, but this was foolish talk.
2. We never have a free pass to live below what God has asked of us.
3. ILL. There has been preachers who have fallen into sin and tried to justify it by saying “In needed a little break, I deserved this little pleasure.”
B. IT’S FOOLISH TO THINK GOD HAS NO FURTHER USE FOR US.
1. Job’s wife wanted to convince Job that God was finished with Job, had no further use.
2. We never get too weak, too old, too shy, or too incapable for God’s use.
3. There’s no retirement plan in the kingdom of God.
4. Satan will try and convince you that you’re usefulness to God has expired.
C. IT’S FOOLISH TO FORGET GOD’S GOODNESS IN TIMES OF TROUBLE
Job 2:10 ...What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? ....
1. No passing pain can compare to his goodness.
2. Job was saying that even in times when he allows trouble, he is still good.
3. Job wouldn’t allow the goodness of God to be questioned in his house.
4. ILL. the fall of Adam and Eve was due to them believing a lie that challenged the goodness of God.
III. DON’T FORGET YOUR REDEEMER
Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
a. Job made it clear that he not only knew a redeemer, it was his redeemer.
b. Job remembered that friend that he had for years developed a relationship with.
c. When we feel cut-off from God it is easy to forget who he is.
A. MY REDEEMER
1. The law would require that if someone fell into poverty and sells or looses his property, that a near relative could come and redeem what he has lost on behalf of the unfortunate one.
2. In proclaiming “my redeemer” he was suggesting the intimacy equal to family, one close enough to stand in as his personal redeemer.
3. A redeemer is one who is willing to suffer loss for us to regain what we lost.
4. Job was not relying on just the promise of his God, but the faithfulness of his Redeemer that cared for his condition.
IV. DON’T FORGET YOUR FAITH
Job 19:23-25 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever! For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
a. Job in the midst of his sorrows took time to profess the faith he had.
A. A FIRM FAITH
1. He said he wanted his words recorded, written on a scroll, and inscribed in lead or engraved in rock forever!
2. His faith was a permanent one - no matter what would happen to him.
Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
3. He made it clear to the enemy that my faith won’t falter, I still trust and will always trust.
4. In such time we need to profess our unbending faith in God.
B. A NEW TESTAMENT FAITH
1. Notice the focus of his faith was in His Redeemer.
2. It wasn’t until the New Testament that we discover that our Redeemer is Jesus Christ.
3. Job found Jesus in the midst of his struggle.
4. No wonder his faith was so firm, his faith had looked ahead to a new covenant and had anchored itself there.
5. The same Redeemer that Job believed in can bring us through our struggles.
V. DON’T FORGET YOUR FUTURE
Job 19:26,27 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
a. Job had an eternal perspective on what he was going through.
b. It’s easy for us to get caught up in the heat of the moment, and fail to see what is really at stake here.
A. AN APPOINTMENT THAT’S NOT WORTH LOOSING.
1. He was saying that nothing I go through now, is worth abandoning what I have promised for my future.
2. The enemy was wishing in his pain he would let go of the position and privilege God had given him but he wouldn’t.
3. This was Paul’s prospective of his suffering.
Rom. 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
B. A PERSONAL APPOINTMENT.
Job 19:27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; ....
1. Job was saying no one will take my place, this appointment is personal.
C. A REASON TO REJOICE.
1. He gained strength to carry on, due to his to the eternal desire he held dear to his heart.
2. The epistles tell us that we can rejoice in our sufferings now in anticipation for the glory that is to come.
CONLUSION: Are you in the heat of trial today? If you are, know that God beleived you "Fit to be Tried" and wants you to know you have a Redeemer, a Faith to stand on and a Future to look forward to. If you are struggling this morning, we want to pray with you.
